North Carolina Baptists respond to hunger needs
- Jun 27, 2008 - comment
“Did Jesus send you?” the Bishops’ little girl asked. Volunteers from the Pilot Mountain Association, near Winston-Salem, replied, “Yes, dear, Jesus certainly did send us!” At this time the parents sat down and shared their struggles.
Volunteers frequently deliver food in Winston-Salem area neighborhoods. On this day, they were delivering food to a new family — let’s call them the Bishop family. Today, volunteers will meet the Bishop family and it will change the way they perceive this ministry opportunity.
Mr. Bishop moved to the area because there were good jobs. Things were going well. Then Mr. Bishop was suddenly unemployed. He did not know how his family would eat. Then two volunteers knocked on his door with boxes of food. The Bishops’ little girl asked the volunteers, “Did Jesus send you?”
With emotions running high, the volunteer replied, “Yes, dear, Jesus certainly did send us!” The volunteers listened to the family as they shared their struggles. And then the volunteers prayed for the family.
Hope in North Raleigh
Drive through North Raleigh on an average day, and you’ll see multi-million dollar homes, three cars in the driveway and stores on almost every corner. Hunger, poverty and need are not visible in this very affluent area. Denise Crumpler, executive director of North Raleigh Ministries, paints a very different picture. Crumpler sees need on a daily basis — single mothers, families who lost their job, elderly and even high school students.
The guidance counselors at a Raleigh high school discovered that Miriam, (not her real name) an 18-year-old student, was living in a house with severe water damage to the floors and disconnected water service.
“She looked like a normal high schooler. I was surprised that she was the one needing help,” Crumpler said. During the fall semester, Miriam was a full-time student as well as a full-time grocery store employee. Since she needed only two classes to graduate, she attended school in the morning and worked in the afternoon. Miriam’s mom left her and a younger child in the house and moved to another state. Miriam was trying to take care of her sister. Miriam was paying the utility and grocery bills. The mother no longer paid the rent. Miriam and her sister were being evicted.
As she ate her first chicken quesadilla, packaged chocolate pudding, and flavored bottled water, volunteers asked her for clothing and shoe sizes for she and her sister. She could not remember the last time she received new clothing or new shoes and did not know their sizes.
Crumpler said North Raleigh Ministries includes a thrift store where Miriam received clothing for she and her sister. Miriam has big dreams — she dreams about finishing high school, having safe, affordable housing, and becoming a chef. Crumpler, other relief agencies and the guidance counselors were able to help Miriam find a safe place to live. She received funds and food from the Crisis Center. Most importantly, Miriam found Christians who listened to her story and shared with her the hope that comes in Christ and the Christian community.
North Raleigh Ministries is supported through Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh, area churches, and other denominations.
N.C. Baptists answer
North Carolina Baptists are responding to the hunger needs within the state with their time and money. Almost 100,000 men, women and children received assistance through churches and associations during the months of January, February and March. More than 2,500 people volunteered in this ministry through 45 churches and associations who receive funding through the Baptist State Convention Hunger Fund. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina contributed $25,000.
North Carolina, according to the most recent census reports, has a 15 percent poverty rate. A recent feature article in the Raleigh News and Observer stated that even the food pantries are hungry. Churches across our state have food pantries, meals on wheels, kids’ cafes and many other ministries to feed the hungry in their backyard.
Concord Baptist Church in Concord works through South Caldwell Christian Ministries to meet needs in their county. One of their clients is a young woman we will call Jane. Jane and her family (a husband who is disabled and five children) struggle financially. The ministry has helped with food, utility bills and school supplies for the family.
In Haywood Association, a mother returned to the center where she had received assistance. She has a job, a church home and wanted to give her tithes to the center.
For many years, North Lexington Baptist Church has provided a ministry to families who are out of work and live near their church.
First Baptist Church in Mount Airy has a Feeding Friends Soup Kitchen. For the past several years an elderly couple attended each week. Recently, the church received word that his wife had died. The group has supported him through the grief and loss of his wife. A month or so passed, and he was sitting at the table with a young girl. He shared Jesus with her and she accepted Christ at the table.
A number of churches provide for students by being “backpack buddies.” Backpacks are filled with food, distributed to the children on Friday and the family has good food for the weekend. Without the backpack, those children would go to bed hungry.
Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matt. 25:35).
Across the state, hundreds are being fed each week both physical and spiritual nourishment. N.C. Baptists have a part in this ministry as they give to the World Hunger Fund and the North Carolina Hunger Fund. Last year, churches gave almost $500,000 through the N.C. Baptist World Hunger Offering that not only supported ministries in the state, but also helped combat hunger around the world.
For more information on how you can be involved, contact Kay Bissette, hunger ministry assistant, at (800) 395-5102, ext. 5540 or kbissette@ncbaptist.org or www.ncbaptist.org.
This article is reprinted from the June 7, 2008, issue of the Biblical Recorder, the newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
Further Learning
Learn more about: Faith, Ministry, Citizenship, Hunger/Homelessness,